helado de inspiración. inspiration ice cream.

Inspiration Ice Cream

2010-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

in loving memory of Janet Jue,

the Goddess from Los Angeles

who one day magically appeared at my doorstep in China

-- from halfway across the world --

to take me home to sunny California

to bloom my best

forthcoming fundraiser for Oxfam & cancer research

a memoir about losing mom...twice

#76: Double Chocolate Dissertation Ice Cream with Rainbow Sprinkles

2010-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am on a writer's retreat to complete and turn in my dissertation for my Ph.D. program this summer. I'll be back shortly (once I give my chair my dissertation chapters)... Thanks for stopping by for some inspiration ice creams, Jennifer

"Happiness is a habit of mind, beautifully framed."
love from Jennifer

(at home in glorious Union Station, Los Angeles)

*****

"Mommy nods, relief flooding her face. Her voice travels across ghostly lands and ghostly galaxies and seven high seas, soaring over tall mountains that tickle the blue belly of the sky with their rounded tips.

I forgot to give you this. I come from ghostly lands to bring you this gift -- the gift of my living words. It may come in memories of dreams of sleepless nights and salty tears, but in it lies all of my hopes that you will write every day of your life as your truest self. You are capable of things that I could only dream of, because you are overcoming challenges that I could not. Inside of you is not just my courage and strength, but also an alchemy of authenticity and ability from your birthmother, and from her mother and from me, from my mother, and from all our great grandmothers before us, an endless cord eons long...awaiting the start of a ritual -- that ritual is the gift of you. With every breath you take, our collective hope herein lies. You are authentic, powerful, lovable, beautiful, kind, worthy, creative and capable. Both of our families -- by birth and by love -- are so proud of you. Go forth with these gifts, removed from our wombs by distance -- and by hope -- but connected by our words, our breath stitched onto this very sheet of paper by ink, sewed to an invisible live cord eons long, by the geometry of our greatest gifts, our collective sorrows, and the mystical mana of our mothers' enduring love. Remember -

We stand

all of us drawn here

by an invisible cord eons long

awaiting the start of a ritual

removed from its womb

by distance and by hope...

This ritual is the Gift of You."

--"Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Mom" by Jennifer Bao Yu "Precious Jade" Jue-Steuck, published in the anthology From Home to Homeland

#75: Fancy Nancy's Ice Cream

2010-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

"...They [her parents] never even ask for sprinkles!"
--Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

#74: Ice Lollies for La Dolce Vita

2010-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Do you really love it? Does it make you feel excited? Alive? If not, why bother...

#73: Ice Crema by Moonlight

2010-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best thing to do is bathe by moonlight, under a canopy of stars.

#72: Monday's Miracle Magnola & Rose Ice Cream

2010-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

The miracle is in this moment.

#71: Glace à la pensée

2010-06-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Change your thoughts, change your destiny.
--a thought had upon stirring this morning

#70: Mei-Mei's Gelato alla Nocciola e al Caffe

2010-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Per piacere, vorrei un gelato! Mi piace il gelato...alla nocciola e al caffe."
("Please, I would like an ice cream! I like hazelnut and coffee ice cream.")

--some Italian lessons for your next trip to Tuscany! Of course everyone knows that gelato is a must in Italy! (cross-posted from our ONE WORLD group blog)

#69: Spoon's Ice Cream

2010-06-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

That night after bedtime stories,
Spoon's mom turned off the light,
tucked him in, and said...

"You know, Spoon - I wonder if you
realize just how lucky you are.

"Your friends will never know
the joy of diving headfirst
into a bowl of ice cream."

"They'll never know what it feels like to
clink against the side of a cereal bowl."

"They'll never be able to twirl around in
a mug, or relax in a hot cup of tea."

--Spoon, a children's picture book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by Scott Magoon

#68: Glace à la centre ville

2010-06-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to wrap yourself in a soft blanket of solitude. Center yourself. And go within...
--today's happy thought

#67: Hope Root Beer Floats Ice Cream

2010-06-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

In life, we live under a funny illusion that we own things.
The truth is that we own nothing. It is all on loan.

And so, in the end, we keep nothing. We keep nothing except for what we give out and leave in the hearts and hope banks of others.

What are you contributing to the hearts and hopes of others?

#66: Gigi's Ice Cream

2010-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

If I hadn't been a Jennifer, I think I would have been a Gigi...
Which names do you feel slip on like a delicious silky soft glove?
--a thought that occured while listening to a Julie Andrews best of broadway CD during a perfect summer's sunset

#65: Beaches and Waves Ice Cream

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've come to the conclusion that most physical ailments (or "dis-eases," as Louise Hay writes)...are truly manifestations of stress. I used to be more skeptical when people would say that "stress kills." Now I no longer doubt it.

The thing is, the longer you live the more stress-baobabs have a chance to take root and grow into sky-high hideous weeds that shadow your life and strangle your joy.

Taking charge of one's health includes daily "flossing" (or uprooting of the stress-baobabs) as an act of self-preservation, spirit maintenance, and sustainer of your Chi (life energy/life force). You'd be amazed by the power of your life's river and flow once your spirit is harmonious and relatively stress-baobab free.

In my books, going to the beach (or wherever you can let down your hair) is no longer optional or just a "nice idea." It is your life insurance. Your pension. Your ultimate safety net from the inevitable chaos and stress of modern life.

#64: Why Not? Ice Cream

2010-06-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Why shouldn't every day of your life be a special day? It's up to you...
--a thought had at sunset today listening to the birds sing

#63: "Red, White and No More Blues" Ice Cream

2010-06-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

So last night I had an epiphany...

When you're flat on your back, wondering "What Next!?" -- feeling like you got run over by 10 lorries on the highway -- the trick is follow the recipe I suggested earlier this week, but to also add this:

When in a "slump state," it is nearly impossible to have a clear perspective. Why? When you're flat on the ground, exhausted, you're literally in no "position" to see all you've accomplished before and all the exciting things that might lie ahead. Unlike owls -- who can nearly turn their heads 360 degrees -- we humans (sadly) have greater limitations when it comes to the fact that we must literally be facing most of what we can see.

In a slump state, it is therefore essential to let yourself lie down and rest, but to also imagine and visualize yourself watching yourself from a bird's eye perspective. Imagine that you are a great bird, hovering in the sky, staring down at your currently exhausted self lying on the road. It's only when we're far away in space that we can see our entire planet in all its splendour. Likewise, it's only when we have an eagle's eye perspective from the sky that we can see our life's accomplishments and have a grander (and more authentic) perspective of what's real and what really matters, and how much we have already overcome.

Try it. See what happens...

p.s. Btw, "Red, White and No More Blues" is a real ice cream that I spotted in a grocery store near Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. I've never actually tried it, but I thought it was interesting and laughed out loud when I saw it. How American!

#62: Ciao Bella Ice Cream

2010-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

I hope that your life path today -- and whatever you do next and during the rest of your life -- will be what you want, in your way, and will give you truly SPECIAL beautiful memories so that when you're 80 and a grandmother, you can look back and say....

"That was SO special. I'm so glad I did that."

And your heart can smile...
Ciao bellas. Off for a run...

#61: Easy as (American) Pie Ice Cream

2010-06-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from the ONE WORLD group blog:

If it was easy, everyone would do it.
--a thought re-remembered at dinner tonight

We Americans are fascinating creatures. No wonder we have such a stellar reputation around the world.

Consider the Evidence:
-Too many pounds? There's always liposuction.

-Friends rubbing you the wrong way, need too much help, or aren't entertaining slash beautiful slash whatever enough? The solution is simple: "De-friend them." (Facebook makes this possible with a single click of a button.) After all, we are a country known for our "instant friendships." (We're so friendly that we even have a chain -- with excellent ice creams, by the way -- called "Friendly's").

-Marriage too tough on, um, day four? File for divorce. By the way, watch out for that creepy clause in some high-profile marriages that states,"If the wife gains more than X pounds, hubby has grounds for divorce and is moving on to the next wife..." (Ladies, what happened to our clause that says,"If husband is a royal ass, selfish and oh-so-shallow, we have grounds to file for settlement, immediate divorce, and said EX-husband is eligible for FREE super-shipment and deportation to Siberia?" Courtesy of Uncle Sam, who is now looking out for the rights, psychological safety and well-being of American women who deserve to be loved and cherished exactly as they are!)

-Parents too old? Escort them to the nearest nursing home. Then become gluttonous guilt sloths (but hey! Where were THEY when we were kids and needed them?).

-Oops! Charged into war recklessly (yet again - SIGH - wasn't Vietnam enough?), bullied other countries into becoming our "allies," and now face a messy, losing battle? Oh well. We'll retreat so they can form their own democracy (code: F***! Run home everybody! Let's get the hell out of the mess we made...)

Don't get me wrong. I am proud to be an American (even though many in our country would claim that I "look like a foreigner" and countless fellow Americans might ask, "Jennifer, where did you learn to speak such good English?").

But maybe somewhere in our great American tradition of mythology-in-the-making (Hollywood style with a dollop of Disney), we ought to reconstruct and rewrite our notions about how life works and, moreover, how communities thrive (CUT! "Americans live in the same world as everyone else," Scene 3, TAKE 2! ACTION!!!).

The rugged individual is so 1800s. Today we live in a global world. It's not easy, but maybe we ought to reconsider the value of respect for and relationships with our fellow human beings and, --while we're at it, -- steer clear from the breakdown of cooperative society.

After all, what's the currency of a democracy really worth without civilization? It's not easy. But then again, is there anything of value that is?

P.S. Of course, I would never complain, whine or moan ;). I'm an American after all...

#60: Sesame Crunch Lotus Bun Ice Cream

2010-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

At San Francisco International Airport I crave sesame crunch lotus paste dim sum buns. Out of hundreds of airports across America, only in San Francisco do we have an entire counter (at the International Terminal) dedicated to dim sum!

But the cravings have a very specific and peculiar time frame. They occur only when I land (not before a take off). And only about 15 minutes before touch down, and about 8 minutes after I've resumed life back on earth.

"To order? Or not to order?"

Somehow the tug of home, of being back in California -- and especially, in the SF Bay Area, the historical port of entry for immigrants from Asia -- is especially strong at touch down, when the dim sum cravings always hit.

Maybe it's the lunar pull of moon, or the reminder that just a hop, skip and jump across the Pacific (what is an ocean to ancestral spirits?) lies the land of my birth. Only...I've never been back there. Not since my adoption.

Maybe it's the reminder of my Chinese roots. The lotus bun, like a tender sweet egg, just ripe for time travel and transformation.

I don't know. But I've noticed these cravings are calculable and connected to a geometry of time-space memories and experiences (not just in San Francisco).

In Paris I crave freshly-made morning palmiers, profiteroles (ice cream cakes in lush chocolate sauce) and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants). In England I crave sticky toffee pudding, packets of crisps, a good lime spritzer. And in San Francisco, I crave sesame seed lotus buns. With each bite, I am transported to a past that somehow lives in the present -- if only for a moment -- through these divine morsels of delicious food.

Which snacks make you happiest, remind you of home, or of your mother or your grandmother, or of a time in your life when you felt safe, loved, comforted and warm?

#59: Permission-to-Launch Lovely Dream Ice Cream Lollies

2010-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

How might your life be different if you grant yourself permission to finally be who you really are?
--a thought had this morning while sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows in a gorgeous cottage on a hill overlooking Lake Washington, Seattle

#58: Runner's Ice Cream

2010-06-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's easy to feel like your spirit got run over by five trucks on the highway. You lie flat on your back, astonished, wide-eyed, wondering "what happened?"

In runner's parlance we call this "hitting the wall." You're running, running along, feeling pretty good. Suddenly, a runner can "hit the wall" and feel like their tank emptied, only there was no meter to measure its arrival time.

When you hit the wall, the best thing to do is this:
(1) Breathe
(2) Lie flat on the floor (no, the couch does not count), focusing your gaze towards the sky.
(3) Ask yourself, "Would anyone perish if I didn't do x, y, or z on your to-do list today? Really? Would they?"
(4) Ask yourself, "what's the most important thing I need to accomplish today?"
(5) Let go of everything else (for today). Just focus on that one task. Then the next.

Finally, rest.

Taking a day off really will not stop the earth from spinning. So be gentle with yourself. Rest.

#57: Zoey's Ice Cream

2010-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

So this evening at a party I met the most amazing 3rd grader (soon to be 4th grader) named Zoey. Among her many talents, Zoey is a vaulter. Vaulting is a sport that includes doing gymnastics on trotting horses -- sounds hard to believe, right? Zoey showed me the photos. Amazing. Today's happy thought is meeting Zoey and Mia's new baby sister, Emi!

#56: 'Book of Fortune' Ice Cream

2010-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

"What does it say?" Minli asked.

"It (a page from the "Book of Fortune") says," the king said slowly, "you only lose what you cling to...(next page) We have clung to it, always afraid of losing it," the king said. "But if I choose to release it, there is no loss."
--"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin

Today's happy thought is the magic of Grace Lin's newest book. Thank you for sharing the gift of your stories.

(This Inspiration Ice Cream "Mobile Post #56" was sent from a magic cottage by the sea kissed by this morning's Seattle sun.)

#55: Seattle Ice Cream and Blueberry Sour Creme Crumb Cake

2010-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Seattle International Airport!

Today's happy thought: Juleigh's graduation from high school. Congratulations!

#54: Paddington's Ice Cream and Jam Cake

2010-06-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

"He (Paddington) was so hungry and thirsty he didn't know which to do first--eat or drink.

'I think I'll try doing both at the same time, if you don't mind,' he announced.

Without waiting for a reply, he climbed up onto the table and promptly stepped on a large cream and jam cake.

Mr. Brown stared out of the window, pretending he had tea with a bear in Paddington Station every day of his life.

'Henry!' cried Mrs. Brown, when she arrived with Judy. 'What are you doing to that poor bear? He's covered in jam and cream.'"
--Paddington Bear by Michael Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley

Sometimes it's easy to feel a bit like Paddington. I feel like there are all these projects I need to do and then I'm not sure which to do first. So then I try to juggle everything and end up with unsightly creme puffs in my hair and jam puddles everywhere (and in dire need of a bubble bath)!

I'm learning (slowly) that it's okay to do one thing at a time, to focus on a single white canvass and paint my best colours and creations. I bet you're very good at this one already, dear reader!

P.S. If you have tips on this (or other) topics that appear in this 'mobile' blog, let us know...

#53: Sweet Spirit Ice Cream

2010-06-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

How deliciously gentle with your spirit can you be?
--a thought to explore...

#52: June's Ice Cream

2010-06-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Happy June 1st! What are you looking forward to this summer...?

#51: Gelato de Amistad

2010-05-31T21:43:00.001-07:00

Every moment provides new opportunities to express small but significant illuminations of kindness towards ourselves and others.
--this evening's happy thought

#50: SARK's Ice Cream

2010-05-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Write when you are in despair or euphoria, write it all! Write especially during the sometimes boring middle parts. Write about how pathetic or brave you feel, or how you just saw your unguarded face in the reflection of the TV screen and saw for just an instant...your grandmother's face. oh dear [NOTE TO ADOPTED READERS: I GUESS THIS COULD BE SEEN AS A BENEFIT OF BEING ADOPTED -- WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT OUR BIOLOGICAL GRANDMOTHER'S FACE LOOKS LIKE!]
Last night I ate a lot of ice cream after dinner and then didn't get much sleep from the caffeine in the chocolate. I could blame not writing on that too. Who can I blame for blaming?"
--Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper by SARK

Today's happy thought is SARK. Thank you for your brilliant, raw and funny honesty. And thank you for caring about your readers.

#49: Sagacious Ice Cream

2010-05-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

There is infinite wisdom in each moment.
--A thought had upon lifting the curtains of my lids this morning...

Tip #48: Hippocrates' Ice Cream

2010-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

"Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food."
--Hippocrates

And I would add...let our thoughts about food also be thy medicine. What is your relationship with food? Millions of women in America struggle with conflicting messages regarding what we should and should not eat and what we are "supposed" to look like according to the beauty and fashion industry. These conflicting and confusing messages can lead some women to view food not as "thy medicine" -- supporter of life, builder of body, and sustenance for spirit -- but rather as thy enemy. And you think the models, media images, and barely-there waistlines don't affect young women today? Think again.

Flashbacks

In the 6th grade, a girl disappears in my school. Three months later, all the girls of the our school are called to a special -- unnamed and unscheduled -- "assembly." Kelly (age 12), we'll call the girl, explains that she has been in the hospital for the past two months, force-fed by IV drip. "I almost died," she whispers, tears cascading down her cheeks. For the next 45 minutes, we listen intently as she shares the story of her slippery slide down a road travelled by millions of young women. Route name: Bulimia. Route Destination: premature death. My 12-year-old self walks away from the assembly forever changed. If this could happen to my classmate (an excellent student, a budding young woman), this could happen to anyone.
In college, I babysit two children for a few weekends of extra summer income. We're making hot chocolates. "I can't have any," the girl, age 4, explains. "Are you allergic? Just don't like hot chocolate?" I ask. "No, I'm on a diet," she says, matter-of-factly. "I have to lose weight. I saw it on television." My draw drops to the floor. This girl is dead serious. She walks out of the kitchen, resolved to lose weight at age 4.
More recently, a mother asks me, "Jennifer, what is so inspirational about ice cream? I have fought my entire life to avoid things like ice cream to keep slim." Well, exactly! I think. That's what's inspirational about ice cream. It's one of life's most simple delights, and yet we young women are programmed to avoid it and anything "fatty" in a lifelong and desperate attempt to be morbidly thin. I say, "Let's reclaim ice cream [code: JOY] in our lives! Let ice cream be thy medicine and let inspiration ice cream be thy food."

Maybe it's time we rethink our relationship to food. When one out of every three Americans is "morbidly obese," health care in our country needs to be more than merely a matter of "treatment," wouldn't you agree?

Tip #47: Glace a l'esprit

2010-05-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

(2010 photo by J. Jue-Steuck ~ dedicated to Dr. Marre & Natalia ~

The fields of Bellaterra in May, Catalonia, Spain)

The protection of the human spirit is priceless. What are you doing to nurture yours?
--today's happy thought

Tip #46: Heathrow Airport Ice Cream

2010-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

"What is the cost of not doing it... [your dream or fill-in-the-blank]?"
--a thought had at Heathrow Airport, London

Tip #45: Voltaire's Ice Cream

2010-05-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

"Ice cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn't illegal."
--Voltaire

Tip #44: Essential Eye Ice Cream

2010-05-24T12:36:00.001-07:00

"What is invisible is essential to the eye."
--The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Tip #43: Olivia's Ice Cream

2010-05-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

"This is Olivia.
She is good at lots of things.
She is very good at wearing people out.
She even wears herself out..."
--Olivia by Ian Falconer

Sound familiar? Er, of course you would never wear yourself out...of course not. You're sensible and far too sensational to let fatigue fritter away at your weekend.

So why not just give yourself permission to relax today? It's Sunday. So instead of "wearing out"...why not "get out" -- whether it's the beach, a museum, or a nice cozy read in your favorite arm chair -- and do something, and often that's really secretly called "doing nothing," that coaxes your spirit to sink into Sunday's soft embrace. Today's happy thought is Olivia, the piglett in a red dress and striped tights who lovingly reminds us all that a part of life is being good at lots of things, including... doing nothing at all but being glorious, gorgeous you.

Tip #42: Last-Minute Magic Chocolate Cake Ice Cream

2010-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

...sounds divine!

Every day of your life can be a special day. Even -- and perhaps especially -- with last-minute touches or enticing (re)creations. Nothing expensive or fancy required. Just a bit of imagination and some basics, like butter, sugar, cream and a pinch of salt. Oh...and the secret ingredient? Love. Bonne chance (good luck)!

Tip #41: Yummy Yerba Santa Ice Cream

2010-05-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

So after moving house all day yesterday (vaccuuming, boxing, running, cleaning,sorting), I decided to treat myself to a new ice cream flavour.

Yerba Santa ice cream is divinely delicious. A delectable delicacy from the yerba santa herb found in Mexico, this ice cream is a close cousin to rootbeer ice cream, but its character is a bit more subtle and sophisticated, with a surprising hint of green tea.

Why not treat yourself to a new ice cream or dessert this weekend? Bon appetit!

Tip #40: Yerba Santa Moon-Catchin' Ice Cream

2010-05-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

"I've made me a moon-catchin' net,
And I'm goin' huntin' tonight,
I'll run along swingin' it over my head,
And grab for that big ball of light.

So tomorrow just look at the sky,
And if there's no moon you can bet
I've found what I sought and I finally caught
The moon in my moon-catchin' net.

But if the moon's still shinin' there,
Look close underneath and you'll get
A clear look at me in the sky swingin' free
With a star in my moon-catchin' net."
--"Moon-Catchin' Net" in A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Tip #39: Rose Ice Cream

2010-05-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

"You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs, at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rose-bushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth. It is very tedious work," the little prince added,"but very easy."
--The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Currently in the process of moving house this week (help!). It's astonishing how many "baobabs" one can indeed collect (or grow) in one's domain. As le petit prince advises, the best way to live is by regularly "pulling up" the baobabs. With a little daily discipline, our minds, homes and hearts can be rich in "roses" and relatively baobab-free. Something to remember -- or (ahem) aspire to remember -- in my next abode. Now off to do my 10th load...ahh! May your home and heart be filled with the perfume of roses...rose ice cream. Magnifique.

Tip #38: A Room of One's Own Ice Cream

2010-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

"A Room of One's Own"
--Virginia Woolf

Food for Thought:
What flavours could you create in a room of your own...? Maybe it's worth investing in a small studio rental space or minor garage renovation -- or even simply claiming a small and special corner of your home -- to feed and nurture your creative spirit. After all, athletes have athletic facilities to hone their skills! Why shouldn't you have your creative facilities to blossom your own original work?

Tip #37: Ice Cream of One's Own

2010-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderful feeling to come into one's own.

Tip #36: Obama's Ice Cream

2010-05-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

"As a child, I was more focused on the matcha [green tea] ice cream."
--President Obama

Tip #35: Mom's Ice Cream

2010-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

"I forgot to give you this. I come from ghostly lands to bring you this gift -- the gift of my living words. It may come in memories of dreams of sleepless nights and salty tears, but in it lies all of my hopes that you will write every day of your life as your truest self. You are capable of things that I could only dream of because you are overcoming challenges that I could not. Inside of you is not just my courage and strength, but also an alchemy of authenticity and ability from your birthmother, and from her mother and from me, from my mother, and from all our great grandmothers before us, an endless cord eons long...awaiting the start of a ritual -- that ritual is the gift of you. With every breath you take, our collective hope herein lies. You are authentic, powerful, lovable, beautiful, kind, worthy, creative, and capable. Both of our families -- by birth and by love -- are so proud of you. Go forth with these gifts, removed from our wombs by distance...and by hope, but connected by our words, our breath stitched onto this very sheet of paper by ink, sewed to an invisible cord eons long by the geometry of our greatest gifts, our collective sorrows, and the mystical mana of our mothers' enduring love. Remember --

We stand
all of us drawn here
by an invisible chord eons long
awaiting the start of a ritual
removed from its womb
By distance and by hope...

This ritual is the Gift of You."

--"Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Mom" by Jennifer Bao Yu "Precious Jade" Jue-Steuck, in the anthology From Home to Homeland (Yeong & Yeong Press, 2010)

Tip #34: Glace à la Chance

2010-05-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

"...Marilla, please, please, let me go to the picnic. Think of the ice cream! For anything you know I may never have a chance to taste ice cream again."
--Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Inspiration Ice Cream notes:
In the French language, "la chance" means "luck."

Tip #33: Double Choca Mocha Ice Cream

2010-05-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

In America -- land of Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts -- if you don't drink coffee you're either a loner or just plain weird! Worse, if you prefer tea (or dare I say, in hushed tones of course, Hot Chocolate!!) to coffee you're most definitely in a league of your own. Unlike Great Britain, at hotels here there are no complimentary "kettles" for tea drinkers, just coffee makers.

When it comes to coffee, I can't stand the stuff. I grew up watching my parents drink four to eight cups of black coffee each morning, wondering how it was possible to enjoy what tasted of brown earth from the backyard.

Just when I was sure I would never touch the stuff my life took a surprise turn. "Double Choca Mocha" is a Nescafe ChocoCappuccino. My friend Adele first introduced it to me this spring in England, and ever since I've shocked myself and become a coffee convert!

Today's happy thought is this delicious drink from England, which has broadened my morning brew options and happily tastes more like hot chocolate (yes! I am a hot chocolate fan) and less like standard coffee! I genuinely think it would also be a delicious new ice cream flavour for those of us on this planet who enjoy a sophisticated balance of choco and coffee. Some say there is "no life before coffee." I say there is no life with coffee, unless you drink Double Choca Mocha.

Tip #32: Imagine Whirled Peace Ice Cream

2010-05-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

"Imagine Whirled Peace"
--A Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavour

Tip #31: Eurostar Ice Cream

2010-05-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Finally made it back to London! Thanks to Eurostar, it now only takes 2 hours and 17 minutes to travel from central Paris (Gare du Nord train station) to central London (St. Pancras International train station). It's fast, efficient, and a piece of cake.

Some Unexpected "Expotitions" During this Trip:
- Taking the train after my flight was completely cancelled from Barcelona to Paris
- A close shave with two young girls (around ages 12-14) on the Paris metro who were pick-pocketing tourists by blocking the entry to the subway car (to distract us) while the other girl slipped her hand in my friend's pocket to snatch their wallet during the commotion. Luckily, they dropped the wallet suddenly and my friend retrieved it.
- An abrazo (embrace) by a woman in our audience I have never met but who gave me the most loving hug.
- Meeting the fantastic author, Marga Muniz, for the first time in person.
- Seeing my good friend Ramon, an adoptive dad, in Barcelona again.
- Learning more about the adoption community in Spain.
- Meeting both international and domestic adopties in Spain, and listening to their stories. Fascinating.

What are some unexpected adventures that have changed your life?

P.S. Inspiration Ice Cream Tips for the Road:
If you plan to visit Spain or France in the near future, I highly recommend booking the trip by train. You can either take the overnight train (e.g., Paris to Barcelona) and book a couchette. Or you can take a combo of local and high-speed trains (as I did after my flight was cancelled due to the ash clouds).

SAMPLE ROUTE: BARCELONA to PARIS
(1) Take the 7:20am "RENFE" train from Barcelona's Passeig de Gracia to Cerberes, France (arrives 10:10am) - lovely views of northern Catalonia (no advance reservations necessary or possible since it's a local train). Cost: 10.60 euros per person (credit card payment at machine).

(2) Transfer to 10:39am "SNCF" local train in Cerberes, France to Perpignan, France. Arrives 11:15am. Cost: 7.50 euros per person. Beautiful ride along the coast!

(3) Transfer to 11:35am "TGV" high-speed train from Perpignan to Paris (Gare de Lyon - right bank). Arrives 4:41pm in Paris. Cost: 108.50 euros per person (purchased last minute). Gorgeous countryside. Marshes and sea and then rolling hills. Doubledecker trains. Advance purchase reservation necessary and seats assigned (book seats on top floors for better views).

Bon voyage!

Tip #30: Cerbere Train Ice Cream

2010-05-10T01:33:00.004-07:00

Bonjour a tous from Cerbere, France (at the border of Spain)!
After a 7 hour tour of Barcelona Airport yesterday, all flights to France, London, Italy and elsewhere were cancelled due to the ash clouds from Iceland's volcanic eruption.

There was a mad rush for the overnight trains from Barcelona to Paris, Milano, and Geneva, all of which instantly sold out as the Brits, the French, and the Italians tried to get home.

Waiting at the airport gate for hours, we received a whopping 4.50 euros voucher for food as compensation for the delay (I bought an orange Fanta and a Spanish croissant with powdered sugar). Our pilot even came out to the gate, mobile in hand, to explain that management in Brussels were sitting on a decision to fly or not to fly. Finally, reports that ash clouds were hovering over Paris Roissy (Charles De Gaulle) cancelled the flight.

Today's happy thought is the gift of train travel. We're passing through the beautiful seaside vinyards of the Languedoc region of southern France, a lovely sight that one might easily miss from air. I like to think of train tracks as stitches round the earth that connect us...to one other, to history (who built these tracks?), to our pasts (who traveled over these same tracks), and to our constantly changing future as we hurdle forward towards new destinations.

I wish that we had more developed train systems in North America. It would be more ecologically friendly, easier to get around, and would definitely change the way we Americans do (or more often, do not) interact with one another in the isolation and secluded caves of our cars that contribute to America's notorious obesity problems, social dislocations and global pollution. What would our country look like if we had more trains, high speed trains, and reliable public transportation?

Tip #29: Avena Ice Cream

2010-05-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

Got Milk?

In the USA, we have Soy Milk, Rice Milk and Almond Milk...but have you ever heard of Oat Milk!?

Monosoy's "Bebida de Avena" (Oat Milk Drink) is a creamy drink from Girona, Spain. I tried it for the first time in my life last night at dinner, and it was surprisingly tasty -- not as chalky as rice milk, not so saccharine as almond milk, and not as rough as standard soy. Indeed, it was quite elegant with a subtle, soft and sophisticated flavour that would make any soy beverage look overdressed and downright provincial.

Today's happy thought is the amazing array of "milk" drinks on our planet, from "bubble tea milk" to goat's milk to Avena milk and more! Why not try a new beverage today? You may be pleasantly surprised.

Tip #28: Bellaterra Ice Cream

2010-05-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Buenos noches from Bellaterra, Catalonia (Spain).

A woman in the audience, 60s, approached me at the end of the Barcelona conference today. Saying nothing, she enveloped me in a huge hug, then beamed a look of pure love from her two twinkling brown eyes, and walked away.

I don't know who she was. I have never "met" her. All I know is that she was a conference attendee.

But in that moment, we were connected. And I felt somehow that her silent embrace was the most special gift anyone has shared with me in a long time.

We are all a part of bellaterra, "beautiful earth." Today's happy thought is the silent embrace of the thousands of "helping hands" who are there to guide us along our truest paths on bellaterra.

Tip #27: Desigual Dream Gelatis

2010-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today at the Casa Del Mar in Barcelona two adoptive mothers shared stories about their adopted children in Spain (from Ethiopia and China), and their concerns about the growing right wing movement in a country still recovering from the Franco regime.

Today's happy thought is my answer to their questions: "I encourage all parents to expose their children to a wide variety of cultures as world citizens (not just to their "birth culture") and to instill a great sense of pride and dignity in who they are."

Soy Americana. Soy immigrante. Soy adoptada. I am all of these things and much more. Let's claim all of our identities right now. There is nothing wrong with being an "immigrant" and absolutely nothing we should be ashamed about being adopted. We Americans are all immigrants or the descendents of immigrants, with the exception of Native Americans. Our many identities give us hope and richness and reflect the complex nature of our global world.

P.S. Desigual is the fantastic Barcelona-based clothing company that sends any Gap, Banana Republic, or even Zara to the sartorial "plain vanilla" pile. Fancy flowing in floral gown with Gaudi-inspired colors and designs? I've never seen anything quite like these garments and bags before. They literally burst with vivacious colors, movement, texture and verve. www.Desigual.com

Tip#26: Alimente Ton Plaisir Gelatis

2010-05-06T00:52:00.000-07:00

"Feed Your Pleasure"

Today's Happy Thoughts
-the unfinished splendour of Sagrada Familia
-some new ice cream flavors (discovered today in the supermercado): limon, horchata de chufa, tarta de queso (la lechera ice cream), helado de stracciatella, helado de vainilla con nueces de macadamia, helado de leche merengada, helado de yogur de frutas del bosque...

Tip #25: El Perfume de la Amistad Gelato

2010-05-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

"The Scent of Friendship"
Spanish Archives

Greetings from Barcelona!

If you haven't yet had a chance to visit the capital of Catalonia, you're in for a treat. Barcelona is a visual feast, a stunning smorgasbord of sumptuous architectural spectacle.

I'm standing by the "Saint Georges Door" (1975 by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs) under a coffered ceiling that "has the shape of an inverted vessel and includes a balcony surrounded by a balustrade."

Today's happy thought: I am grateful for the many flavors (perfumes) of friendship that enrich our lives.

Tip #24: Marmite Ice Cream

2010-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

In England you either love it or you hate it. In Australia they've even created their own equivalent, only it starts with a V (vegemite) and they liken it to America's obsessive relationship with peanut butter. The first time I tried in England, I loved it! Then I did a scientific experiment comparing marmite and vegemite. It was an easy win for the powerful M! So incredibly salty and sticky, yet marmite smooths on quite well with my other favorite spread -- butter! Today's happy thought -- as I eat a delicious marmite and butter cheese sandwich in Guilford, UK (on the train to Gatwick Airport) -- is the magnetic charm of marmite! Which combinations of condiments titillate your taste buds, sending you to a whole new world?

Tip #23: la glace a l'avion

2010-05-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Just landed in London. I'm sitting at terminal 5. You have to admit that there is something magical about planes. One minute you're in Los Angeles or NYC or Tokyo and the next thing you know you're in London or DC or Cape Town or Buenos Aires (in just a matter of hours!). To think that travel used to be bounded by boat, train or by other means.

It took my grandmother 3 weeks to travel from LA to Shanghai by ship in the 1930s. Today's happy thought is the gift of travel -- en plein air.

Tip #22: compass ice cream

2010-05-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Toronto International Airport!

Yesterday morning I had the most interesting experience. Mei-Mei and I were waiting for the commuter train to Boston (to attend sessions at the Adoption Conference at MIT). But it never came. After 15 minutes, Mei-Mei asked her body to tell her if we should drive to Boston, or continue to wait for the train. Each time she asked herself if we should drive, her body swung forward. Each time she asked her body if we should wait, her body leaned backwards. Then I tried it and the same thing happened! I couldn't believe it. I felt like I was in a scene from Mary Poppins, only with the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Chinese adoptie "Mei-Mei Mary Poppins" and her magical umbrella.

You know what happened? We drove. And later we discovered that the trains had stopped due to a water breakage affecting the train and T (subway) lines in Boston.
Magic really does happen everyday. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and trust your internal magic compass. Try it! Tell us what you discover.

Tip #21: Babes-in-Beijing Ice Cream

2010-05-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

"My older brother Jacob and I were born in Kyoto, and spent our infancies in a one-room teahouse, Jacob asleep in a drawer and I in a suitcase."

--Foreign Babes in Beijing by Rachel Dewoskin

After a busy day at a conference, I was rummaging around in Mei-Mei's library in Wellesley and discovered this book. I love this image of the two children asleep in their "beds." It reminds me of when I was small and would disappear for hours in the attic, building elaborate castles and cities from the miles of cardboard boxes! In fact, I just remembered (right this second) how I would look for cardboard boxes wherever and whenever I wanted to "get away" and play. The possibilities seemed endless and magical, a bit like a lego land but bigger and with more wiggle room to bloom beautiful cardboard cities.

Do you remember what kinds of games you played as a child? Especially ones that used "found objects" to bloom into magical new creations?

Tip #20: Comfort Corn Ice Cream

2010-04-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

So the other day I tried corn ice cream at a local ice cream parlor. Yes! CORN Ice Cream.

It was...uh...interesting. It really did taste like corn. Creamy corn.

Anyway, today I dare YOU to try something new. Something you normally would not do. Be a little dangerous. Stick a toe outside of your comfort zone. Just try one thing that makes you just a teeny bit nervous... Warning: this exercise might make you feel VERY alive.

Tip #19: Beaches & Ice Cream

2010-04-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

"I should have said 'I love you' more."

Mom says this quietly as I drive her home from work down PCH "Pacific Coast Highway" (route 1), the small road that cradles the coast from the crest of California to the border of Mexico. Mom can no longer drive because of the pain patch the doctors have ordered her to wear 24/7. She can no longer digest food on her own because the cancer has consumed most of her stomach, yet she insists on going to work half time. So I drive her to school each day, only taking the scenic route -- along the beaches -- so that mom can take in the birds and all our lovely sightings during dawn's hours when the morning sky meets the shimmering dark blue of the sea.

"I love you," mom says. Again. And again. It's as if mom is trying to make up for 18 years in a single car ride home.

Sparkling diamonds dance across the green-blue waves of the sea as we pass the exact spot on PCH where Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey nip down to a coastal cottage (as Hershey's character is dying) in the Academy Award-nominated film Beaches, a story about two best friends, love, legacy and the heroes in our lives.

Like the theme song from Beaches, "Wind Beneath My Wings," mom always says that I am her hero, but I don't know why. In my eyes, no one could ever compare to the Goddess from Los Angeles who became my amazing mom.

Who are the heroes in your life?

And have you told them what a difference they've made?

Tip #18: The Secret Garden's Ice Cream

2010-04-28T09:38:00.001-07:00

Fact: Miracles happen every single day. But they're hard to see if you only watch the news. You never know when a bit of magic may be just around the corner...

"Everything is made out of Magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds...the Magic is in me...It's in every one of us."
--Colin in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Tip #17: Ocean Goddess Ice Cream

2010-04-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

"I'm a late blooming artist," says Susan. "I need some inspiration -- continued inspiration -- for my work...because all of a sudden I found myself [as an artist later in life], by myself, creating. It can be a lonely occupation. With the ocean, I experience spatiousness, solitude and creativity." Hence the title of one of Susan's clay pieces, "Ocean Goddess." Susan, who worked for years in Silicon Valley, says that she "discovered sculpting 10 years ago and I fell in love with it."

Who are some late blooming artists who inspire you?

Tip #16: Mrs. Dalloway's Ice Cream

2010-04-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.
For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rumpelmayer's men were coming. And then, thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning-fresh as if issued to children on the beach.
What a lark! What a plunge!"
--Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Tip #15: Fortune-Cookie Ice Cream

2010-04-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

"When the flowers bloom, so will great joy in your life."
--from a Chinese fortune cookie

Did you know that fortune cookies bloomed in America? They are indeed a special product of the American imagination, for they were not actually invented in China at all! And yet, one must admit that there is a certain aura of magic to them. What will your fortune be this time? One never knows. And best of all, if you don't like your fortune, during your next visit to a Chinese restaurant your fortune -- and future -- will flower anew!

Tip #14: Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

2010-04-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Why not bloom in new directions? Try something fresh and creamy. As Anne [of Green Gables] says, "Every day is a new beginning, with no mistakes in it." Or as I like to say, Every day can be a crème fraîche day!

Tip #13: La-Vie-En-Rose Ice Cream

2010-04-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

A bright yellow sun is setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge, and I'm listening to Edith Piaf's classic, "La Vie En Rose." It was a l-o-n-g week, but sometimes bad weeks can have happy endings. Sometimes when you think everything is going south, you notice that the flowers are starting to bloom beautifully. It's spring. Le Printemps, as they say in France, when Paris is at her best. Life is wonderful when you notice the bounty and beauty all around us everyday on our precious planet. Happiness is a habit of mind, beautifully framed. Today's happy thought -- the magic muse of spring -- is dedicated to Edith Piaf, whose sorrows and loves and passions inspired her to so eloquently blossom beloved classics like La Vie En Rose. Thank you Edith.

Tip #12: Tanzibar's Song Ice Cream

2010-04-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

I wrote my first inspiration piece for someone else at the age of 6, and didn't do it again (officially) until my late 20s!

The first inspiration piece I wrote was loosely based on a poem called "Tanzibar's Song" that I learned in kindergarten. I wrote it for my dad to try to cheer him up. Even -- and perhaps especially -- at the tender age of 6, I could see that my dad struggled in his own body. I couldn't remember the entire poem by heart (since we had only read it once in class with Mrs. Rutherford, my kindergarten teacher at Carden Hall, a K-12 school in Newport Beach), but I remember thinking that it was exactly what my dad needed to hear! So I paraphrased the bits I couldn't remember verbatim, added a few of my own lines at the end (to personalize it for my dad), and gave it to him for Father's Day. He then had it framed to display on his office desk. More than 20 years later, it's still framed and in my childhood home in southern California. Today's happy thought is inspired by my dad, whose struggles and creative passions and deep love for his family inspired me to bloom my first "flavors" of inspiration ice cream!

What inspired you to create as a child?

Tip #11: Advice from Anne (Shirley)

2010-04-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

"It's not what the world holds for you, it's what you bring to it."
--Anne of Green Gables

Tip #10: keep going...

2010-04-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we stumble. Trip. And land in ER. (What happened to me yesterday!)

Keep going. It will get better. I'm not giving up....are you?

Tip #9: on hope...

2010-04-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

"Writing is an act of hope."
--Isabel Allende

What are your acts of hope this week?

Tip #8: your secret adventures await

2010-04-18T16:06:00.001-07:00

Try something new today! It's amazing how sitting in an inviting new spot, wearing a dazzling new color, or simply strolling to your usual haunts on a slightly different route can make you feel a tingle of excitement and renew your spirit. See what happens. Observe. Make a mental note. Then tell no one. It's your secret adventure, and yours alone...capiche? Do this often enough and soon you'll exude an aura of mystery that's delightful and intriguing--not only to yourself, but to everyone you meet. Try something new. What do you have to lose?

Tip #7: Anne Frank's Advice

2010-04-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
--Anne Frank

This Post is Dedicated to the victims of the April 10, 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 Crash near Smolensk, Russia, which included the Polish President and many of Poland's leaders who were traveling to attend the 70th anniversary memorial of the Katyn Forest Massacre, where more than 4,000 Polish troops were killed during World War II.

I can't help but think that if we had followed Anne's advice and started to improve the world a bit earlier--especially germane to the complex geometry of cross-cultural understanding, HUMAN RIGHTS, respect and tolerance, dignity and compassion--perhaps Anne Frank and the victims of last week's Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash might still be with us today...

Perhaps if we had started to improve the world Anne Frank would not have been sentenced to death by Nazi Germany, and perhaps -- across the Atlantic -- the more than 120,000 Americans of Asian and Japanese ancestry in the USA might not have been stripped of their citizenship rights and sentenced to American concentration camps during the same period that Anne perished halfway around the world.

Let's remember Anne today, and the millions of lost lives during World War II, a war that continues to haunt us all around the globe -- as witnessed by the tragic loss of Poland's leaders last week. Let's remember Anne's words, and the twisted bodies at Dachau (Germany), and the barbed-wire concentration camps that dotted America's land of the free, "from sea to shining sea." I think we can do better, don't you?

So before you see someone who "looks different" today and feel the urge to jump to your usual assumptions, why not beam a ray of compassion and open-mindedness to them instead...?

I think that Anne, the families of the Polish victims of last week's crash, and the millions more who continue to be affected by the losses of World War II, would thank you for not waiting a single moment to "improve the world" today.

Tip #6: on magic...

2010-04-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

Chatting about an 'exciting breakfast' (yesterday's post) may sound silly. But they say that Rome wasn't built in a day; neither are our lives. The details make life magnificent, allowing us to move out of the mundane...and into our magic.

Often we think that the BIG things will make us happiest. The truth is this: in the long run, it's the teeny, tiny things that can make the biggest difference in terms of the quality of one's life. Examples of how seemingly inconsequential things can add up:

How many steps did you take today?
How many delicious and nurturing breakfasts did you enjoy this week?
If you're a writer, how many words did you write today?
How many deep belly breaths did you bless your body with today?
How many healthy thoughts did you think today?
How many acts of kindness did you express today -- for yourself and for others?

Your answers could transform your life.

Tip #5: Bloom Your Best Breakfast

2010-04-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Did you have a good breakfast this morning? If not, why ever not? Think about it.

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last,

"what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast? said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," he said.

Tip #4: "My Milagro" (Miracle)

2010-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

You are a miracle.

In today's world of never-ending "how to lose 15 pounds" adverts, it's easy to suffer from temporary amnesia and forget just how wonderful we already are. Why are we humans so much harder on ourselves than we are on our animal friends? Have you ever heard someone say, "My neighbor's cat would be so beautiful if only she lost 5 more pounds, got double eye-lids, a chin tuck and had a nose job!!??"

What a load of rubbish! Every feline knows it's a fantastic beauty, even if its tummy has a habit of tickling the tiles of your floor as it softly sashays down the hall for a snack in the kitchen ("oops, saggy-belly-syndrome today!" does not appear to cause much alarm, or even exist, in feline languages).

There is a reason cats are regal. They already know their worth, and no one -- not even the multibillion dollar world-wide beauty industry -- is going to convince them otherwise.

FACT: There is only one you in the entire universe.
FACT: You are a unique expression of love, life and beauty.

So repeat after me, "I am a miracle."
Then close your eyes. Now whisper it one more time to your heart.
For indeed, you are a miracle.

Tip #3: You never know HOW your DELIGHT may transform YOUR DESTINY...or the Destiny of Your Children

2010-04-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

The first place we bloomed was inside mum's tummy.
Whatever she ate, we ate. Whatever she felt, we felt.

I am certain that my Chinese Birthmother loved ice cream. I can see her now, a young girl of 16 years with sparkling brown eyes and long wavy hair that billows in the wind and kisses the scintillating rays of the sun. I can see her swollen belly (with me inside), her legs dangling off a park bench as she licks the creamy stuff. A sigh of relief escapes her. At last, a momentary refuge from the hot heat and humidity, her swollen feet, the noisy clamoring streets on one scorching hot summer day in China. I smile. Tucked inside her belly, I am enjoying my first taste of the cold, sweet and delicious ice creamed milk!

Months later, we hear another sigh of relief when she locates two "suitable" couples to possibly adopt me. I say suitable not because of their stuffy-sounding job titles, but rather, "suitable" because they have traveled thousands of miles from Australia and the USA: both ice cream-loving nations, of course!!

The ancestors would surely give their consent. After all, they may be a cantankerous group of crabby ghosts, but who could possibly argue while eating ice cream?

Birthmother clucks with approval (making a mental note to bring cartons of ice cream to offer the ancestors during her next visit), and nearly hands me over to the Aussie couple to grow up "true blue" Down Under. But suddenly, a loud clap of thunder knocks her off her feet! Flat on her back, facing the sky, lo and behold an ginormous fluffy cloud -- shaped like an ice cream fudge sundae with a cherry on top -- floats above her. A voice from the heavens whispers, "Americans actually eat more ice cream...than anyone in the world!"

"That's it!" she declares. A sign.

A sign auguring a sweet and creamy future in America, "Gold Mountain," which she secretly re-names "Ice Cream Fudge Sundae Mountain" (in Mandarin, of course). And so, my adoption adventure BEGINS...

What small pleasures delight you?

Tip #2: Your Perfect Day...

2010-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from the ONE WORLD blog:

This morning memories from long ago resurfaced. I remembered how, on occasion, the perfect day seemed to magically appear...you know, one of those days when you just feel perfectly happy, content and pleased.

Close your eyes with me right now, and just smell the scent of magic all around you. It's always here. Sometimes in the busyness of life it can be so easy to stop seeing the magic around us everywhere.

What does your perfect day look and feel like? Can you remember the last time you had a perfect day filled with delight, sprinkled with small pleasures that stirred your spirit to finally sit, calmly, in a seat of peaceful bliss?

Tip #1

2010-04-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

“Seize the Moment.
Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”

—Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)